RockingChair

Front Porch Blog

Updates from Appalachia

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BARC’s solar farm contains 1,750 solar panels and produces 550 kilowatts of energy. Photo courtesy of the BARC Electric Cooperative

Rural electric co-ops invest in community solar

Community solar is a cooperative alternative to installing solar panels on an individual residence. Several rural electric cooperatives in Appalachia are now providing this option for their members who want to use renewable energy.

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Atlantic Coast Pipeline environmental review falls short

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its draft environmental review of the $5 billion Atlantic Coast pipeline last Friday. Unfortunately, the agency ignored evidence that the proposed 600-mile pipeline, spearheaded by Dominion Resources, is not needed and puts lives, communities, drinking water and the climate at unacceptable risk.

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Happy Holidays from our family to yours

A special note from Executive Director Tom Cormons wishing you a happy holiday season and looking forward to 2017.

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A former surface mining site in Tennessee. Photo taken October 2012, flight courtesy Southwings

Mountaintop removal limited — not stopped — in Tennessee

The Obama administration has approved a petition from Tennessee to designate some 75,000 acres of mountain ridges off limits for surface coal mining. The move protects mountain streams, wildlife habitat, scenic views and eco-tourism assets of the iconic Cumberland Plateau. But other mountains in Tennessee are still threatened with mountaintop removal mining. Take action today.

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Final Stream Protection Rule released

On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the Stream Protection Rule, which aims to protect streams from the impacts of surface and longwall mining. The final rule offers only modest improvements to protections for public waterways, but it is well worth defending from congressional attack.

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